What Is Your Political Iama?

You know what's funny? It's all the same people who want to end the war in Iraq and save the residents of Darfur. These people claim to be humanitarian and peace-loving, but leaving the huge mess we made in Iraq may permit as much bloodshed there as we've seen in Sudan.

Then again, maybe the civil war in Iraq has to happen, and will happen regardless of any intervention, before the new republic matures. I prefer to believe there are other ways.

There is a zeitgeist that sweeps people up and directs them as to what to believe. Why is politics divided in to Left and Right? There are more than two dimensions. Nobody talks about the political Up or Down. I guess those terms, like Forward and Backward have too much baggage. So come up with new ones. Point is, there should be more than 2 if it were about the issues. I's not. It's about the group. I am a - this. And I am a - that. You identify with your iama, and choose your positions to match.

Obscure Literary References (Don't Look)

Got my penis stuck in the vacuum cleaner the other day. I think it's like a rite of passage or something. I was vacuuming cobwebs around the dryer and all I had on was a robe, and it just seemed an interesting thing to try. It sucked me harder than anyone I've known, but not better - it's missing the tongue, the lips. I pissed into the thing to lube it up, and it slid right out. I hope I'm not being too graphic.

"In the case of a praying mantis, necrophilia may also take place as a form of reproduction. The larger female will often decapitate or otherwise kill her mate during copulation." ~Wikipedia

Anyone up for Snow Patrol at the Garden?

Not Much Going On

I've been so frustrated about not being able to watch Skins. First they took it off VEOH, then they took it off YouTube. And I can't get into P2P or DailyMotion because of restrictions on my computers.

Google's speedy growth has finally caught up with them. They don't have the bandwidth to serve all their customers (read: everyone in the world), and as a result many of their services have begun to run more slowly. I've experienced serious slowdowns in gmail and google video. And I'm beginning to expect more than we're getting from the search engine as well. Google is just no fun anymore.

PDAs and other Ambiguous Abbrvs

Personal Digital Assistant?
Public Display of Affection?

How about APA:
American Psychological Association or
American Psychiatric Association

Or EPA:
Environmental Protection Agency or
Eastern Psychological Association

Quotes on Innocence

Your verdict will be “Guilty” or “Not Guilty.” Your job is not to find innocence.
~Russell R Leggett

The innocent and the beautiful
Have no enemy but time;
~William Butler Yeats

Yes, Lord, you are innocence itself: how could you conceive of Nothingness, you who are plenitude? Your gaze is light and transforms all into light: how could you know the half-light in my heart?
~Jean-Paul Sartre

You may have known your neighbor yesterday for a thief, a drunkard, or a sensualist, and merely pitied or despised him, and despaired of the world; but the sun shines bright and warm this first spring morning, re-creating the world, and you ... feel the spring influence with the innocence of infancy, and all his faults are forgotten.
~Henry David Thoreau

Old Laws Die Hard

§ 18.2-361. Crimes against nature; penalty.

A. If any person carnally knows in any manner any brute animal, or carnally knows any male or female person by the anus or by or with the mouth, or voluntarily submits to such carnal knowledge, he or she shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony, except as provided in subsection B.

Although the Supreme Court has declared it unconstitutional, this archaic law remains on the books in Virginia.

Please Apply Six Months In Advance

Been looking for some summer work, finding it hard to break into the job market. Great school credentials, but little in the way of practical skills: Quark, Excel, SAS, Molecular Biology, etc. Got back my LSAT score. A bit disappointing, but maybe good enough for some of the schools on my list. Might have to take it again.

On a brighter note, I got accepted to a top science internship in a Molecular Genetics lab. They sent me a form-letter acceptance letter where they fill in the blanks: I am pleased to inform you that. . . Your host will be Professor so-and-so. . . You will receive a monthly subsistence allowance of ~ $US0 per month. . .

So I'll be raking in the dough if I take this offer. But it's a great opportunity to do some exciting work and pick up valuable experience.

So it's like Law, Journalism, Natural Science, or Social Science. Or something else. Do I seem confused? This is the short list.

Thats the update.

Thanks to Mad About The Boy for maintaining a wonderful blog and referencing mine here.

How You Doing

New York. Newww Yoooorrrk. I was on line at Rite Aid and there were three girls and a guy behind me. They had been shopping together for condoms and lube and a bit uneasy about it. From the conversation it was clear the boy was gay. And then one of the girls turns to me and says, "He thinks you're cute." It was pretty cool. I'm used to that at bars, but not just on the street.

They banned "the N-word" (nigger) in New York. Bro, whad my niggaz think a dat? I think ihs a gross vy-o-lation o' da first amendment. (story)

Fashion or Porn?

Dsquared
Photo: Marcio Madeira
Courtesy of men.style.com

Skins

I love Skins! New TV show on Britain's e4 network. Not usually into the British stuff, but this is really good. And refreshing to be away from Idiot America stuff. Poor America doesn't realize how far it has its head stuck up its Oh, never mind. I was so annoyed when the episodes were removed from veoh. I had downloaded episode 1 and 2, and the next day when I returned for 3 and 4, they were gone. Luckily, they were still available on youtube, but split up into 10 minute segments. And undownloadable, so when they are removed I won't have them :-( Oh well.

I was happy with the network, but then I saw them get uptight on the compyright and all, and now they don't seem so hot. Bad PR, if you ask me. How can 50,000 extra viewers be bad for a TV network, right? And when I considered paying (1 pound and episode), I found that it could only be downloaded from e4 within th UK. How dumb is that?

Btw, it seems the Brits have issues with the program: It reflects their way of life, which isn't always pretty. I think it's the same thing that bothers me about watching US TV: Why watch it when I live it? Let me watch something different and learn about other cultures. Oh, and have some fun in the process.

The Wrong Way to Reheat a Pizza

Wrap it in aluminum foil, stick it in the oven, and forget about it.

Is This In Poor Taste?

Onions and Lemons

Chrysler Halts Production Of Neckbelts

DETROIT-Paralysis and violent decapitations contributed to the recall of all automobiles containing neckbelts.

Nation's Teens Disappointed By Banned Books

WASHINGTON, DC-Huckleberry Finn, Slaughterhouse Five, and The Catcher In The Rye are just a few of the many banned books to which U.S. teens are reacting with disappointment, the American Library Association reported Monday.

Not a worthwhile endeavor, but the Onion makes a nice diversion sometimes.

Hussein is Running for Prez in US

Did you know that Barack Obama's middle name is Hussein? (Now where did I see that?) I won't support him any less because he shares a name with Saddam. Will you? Winner and Loser were a pair of twins, Winner was convicted of a string of crimes and sent to jail, while his brother Loser is a successful lawyer. So what's in a name?

Anyway, five CW Post students are undergoing an investigation and punitive action for making a comic film about kidnapping a rubber duck. Apparently, local Muslims were insulted by the Middle Eastern accents used in the short. They want everyone to know that they don't kidnap rubber ducks. . . they've got more important things to do. . . I didn't say that!

If Barack Obama wins America in 2008 and Ehud Barack wins in Israel, imagine the fun the media will have playing up the Barack/Barack relationship.

GQ Should Do a Cover with Shawn Hornbeck

GQ vs. Esquire? No contest. Esquire is inconsistent, has no image, no niche and is just random and weird but not in a good way. GQ is much more relevant and fresh. I was thrilled by their Shameless Left-Wing Magazine Agenda^TM message to Congress ("Dear Democrats") on the last page of the February issue:

1. Protect gay marriage
2. Environmental protection
3. Stop trash-talking the immigrants
4. Step up gun control
5. Legalize euthanasia
6. Respect separation of church and state
7. Iraq war reforms
8. Legalize marijuana

Granted, I don't agree 100% with this agenda, but it's the best I've heard anyone suggest to this Congress so far to help get our country back on track.

I was just listening to the radio and every five minutes the radio host (Richard Bey, fyi) wants to say something that he "can't say on the air". THERE IS NO FREEDOM IN THIS COUNTY ANYMORE. It died with 9/11 and the Bush administration. It took a few years of living abroad and then coming back to realize this because they have everyone here on subliminal mindf**k. Everyone is brainwashed with rhetoric, but bottom line is that we are awash with anachronistic restrictions.

Forgive me flying off the handle.

Anna Nicole Smith dead? I never heard of her before, and when I went to look now I saw she is uglier than Brittany.

Survey says most women would give up 15 months of sex for a new wardrobe. Hey, isn't the wardrobe to help you look attractive to the opposite sex? If you are abstaining anyway, why do you need the nice clothes? That's how a man sees it. I guess for gals it's different. Or the results are inaccurate.

"Some people say clothes make the man, but the right clothes can even replace him," fashion designer, stylist and TV personality Carson Kressley from the reality TV show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" said in a statement accompanying the poll.

Did anyone else notice that Shawn Hornbeck is really cute? I know, it isn't PC to say that about a boy who spent most of his teen years as a captive to an alleged child molester, but I think it's an important point and this goes back to the Anna Nicole Smith story. America is paying attention to stories about good looking people.

There was a recent scientific study done about implicit effects of political party affiliation on aesthetic judgments of candidates' appearance. Similar pictures of Bush and Gore from the 2000 presidential campaign were shown to participants, who were asked to judge physical appearance of the pics. Sure enough, party affiliation predicted aesthetic judgments with impressive accuracy.

It is foolish to deny the effects appearances have on us. Let's own up and then we can deal with the effects and correct our decisions. I hate to harp on the poor Aken family, but they composed a message published on their website and signed by Shawn that just wasn't written by a 15 year old boy. Especially one who hasn't been to school since 5th grade. He seems like a smart kid, but this speech was written up by lawyers and to sign Shawn's name to it - whose interests does that serve? Why the deception. But it's a delicate case. And one I'll probably be paying especially close attention to because its implications for forensic psychology may make it a fantastic term paper topic.

Oh and about the Aken family, this was a juicy, if irrelevant, factoid that the Post picked up on: Shawn's father Hornbeck was convicted on sexual assault charges and did prison time during Shawn's early childhood. He was released on parole around 1997, but Mrs. Horbeck divorced him and Shawn never had a relationship with his father after that. Shawn's mother remarried to Aken in 1999, three years before Shawn's abduction. That should clear up the name confusion (Uhduh why are Mr. and Mrs. Aken dragging Shawn Horbeck around the country...)

My deepest sympathy, and I know this is not enough, to all who have been hurt in this disturbing (I refuse for the time being to call it tragic; we don't have enough details yet to know if it was that. Remember your Shakespearean tragedies where everyone dies in the end and then you know it was a tragedy? Well here everyone is alive and possibly well) episode. And especially to you, Shawn, you're the greatest. (At least, I think you are; I don't really know you.)

Case #1

You are a forensic psychologist asked by the court to assess the accused's current and prior mental state to determine his competency to stand trial as well as potential criminal responsibility.

You try to interview the suspect (alleged attempted murder of a police officer), but he refuses to talk. You explain the procedure, his rights, the potential for this interview to open the door to a possible insanity defense; you also explain the unconfidential nature of the assessment. He continues to refuse to talk, claiming he isn't feeling up to the interview and anyway is suffering retrograde amnesia so he doesn't remember any details from the incident.

Following the unsuccessful interview, you call the suspect's wife. At first, she hesitantly corroborates her husband's story. She says at the beginning of his recovery from the bullet wound to his head dealt him by the police officer during their altercation, he was very regressed and had difficulty with basic hygienic functions. Later in the interview, she leaked more information.

"Will my husband find out what I tell you?"
"I will have to include it in my report to the court. Are you scared about that?"
"He's killed people before. He made me promise to back up his story."

You must now go and file your report to the Judge. Analyze the actions of the court psychologist up to this point and recommend the next step.

Sands of Time Flow Always In the Hourglass

Postmaster: Please note change of address. I returned from the Holy City back to the economic capital of the world. Left the Land of Canaan, returned to the erstwhile superpower of the world. Alas my time abroad has come to a close. But there is always a chance that this time next year, or even sooner I'll be someplace even more exotic. And anyway, there is plenty exotic in New York City. Like Eliot Spitzer and Michael Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton and George E. Pataki. I hear there is a big art show here next week, and the MLB All-Star game.

The city truly doesn't sleep, doesn't stop. But it is so BIG. Maybe next time I'll try some little remote village. I stick too much to capitals and big influential cities. If I get that internship in London, at least it won't be influential. LOL. But I figure London is pretty big as well. And not all that clean. NY is pretty clean. For a city this size, for all its shortcomings give them credit. This city runs so well for a city so full of people. And people are like animals. And animals are like people. And I'm overtired.

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers
Four score and seven years ago, our fathers
Fourscoreandsevenyearsago. Our fathers
FourSCore and seven years aagoo, ouur fathers brought forth
Four score and seven years ago, our fathers

Four score andseven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a NEW nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that ALL men are created equal.

Speech class. I think I've just set the record, along with my compatriots, for hearing the greatest number of Gettysburg recitations in a row.

The New Elementary School - Part 1

Imagine those poor Tourette's kids who have to call out "penis!" at random intervals throughout their day. At the cafeteria line in school. What would you like for lunch, Johnny? "Penis!"

Teacher: Who was the general who led the Confederate army at Gettysburg?
Johnny: Penis!

Johnny leads his team to a victory on the basketball court during recess. Michael to Johnny. Johnny takes the pass, he looks, drives, posts up in the paint. Shoots. Two points. Penis!

Oh, no. Yarislov brought peanut butter again. Now Freddie's going to break out in hives because he's allergic to the smell. Go call the security guard to take the peanut butter away from Yarislov and dispose of it according to Environmental Protection Act 11a. Wait. Freddie is angry. Uh oh. He's chasing Petunia. This has nothing to do with the hives, of course, he's just mad that there's a girl called Petunia. He thought her name should be Alexia. Alexia sounds like a nice name; it's too bad it's already taken by a reading disorder.

Jared and Brandon are shooting up in the corner of the schoolyard, Brandon goes on a bad trip and gets so scared he wets his pants. Johnny comes running over, takes one look at Brandon and shouts, "penis!"

Jared: Yes you idiot, it's coming from his penis, what you thought he had a vagina, asshole?
Johnny: I didn't mean anything it's just my Tourettes. What happened to Brandon?
Jared: He's on a bad trip. He'll be okay.
Johnny: Penis!
Jared: You say that one more time I'll rip your pants off, stick you're dick in your mouth and make you suck it.
Johnny: Please don't hurt me. It's a sickness I have that makes me shout strange things. I'm really not like that. You have ADD, I have Tourettes, like, we all have gotta have something.

Psychoanalysis

Let's try some free-association.

Stock markets up down hell sex hey i didn't mean that. It's one of those things you Christians are always saying. Love is great. I love to look at the beauty of good looking people, especially teenage boys. I could be on this topic all day, so that would kind of defeat the purpose, right? I mean, I'm supposed to jump from topic to topic? Do you feel like jumping from topic to topic. No, not really. OK, then just be natural. Write what comes into your mind. This whole exercise is unnatural. It is the most awkward thing. Fine, stop concentrating on the process, just let it happen. Ah, yah that's good. I like to jst let it happen. Like we're out at the club having a great time, and then we're at his apartment, and we just let it happen. Do you think it's odd that I'm always thinking about sex? is this normal? I hear polls from time to time about how often people think about sex, and the choices are like not at all, 1-2 times a day, 3-4 times a day. And I'm like what are they talking about? Try 6 to 20 times an hour. Parents are also one of those thing i think about when I'm doing these psycho thinking things. I think it's because of all that stuff you hear about parents being responsible for children's psychological probs. but maybe I'm just doing the defense mechanism thing. My aunt is a psychologist. Her mom is real proud that she has a daughter who is a "doctor". Now she just needs a lawyer. And maybe a real MD would be better than a shrink, idk. Medical school takes so long. Law is faster, but it's not a fun job. SO maybe I'll try writing. I saw an internship position at The Economist that looked interesting. Gotta write a sample article for the science section of the magazine to apply. I am typing on a keyboard. that is one of those classic fillers that you use when you aren't really thinking about things you feel comfortable talking about, so you just look around.
I'm shopping for a phone, oh yeah. I got this awful haircut Friday. I asked the barber to keep the style, just make it a bit shorter. Next thing I know, it's short where I want it long and long where I want it short. don't ask. made me appreciate my israeli hairstylist i'd been using in the holy land. I thought american barbers are better, but i guess even in this great country, some things are still hit or miss. I got new accuview contact lenses. much more comfortable than my old ones, which weren't disposables like these.
I've noticed people wearing these flashy glasses with big think temples. cut it out. ok. glasses should not be something that i have to look around to see your face. they should complement your face, not obstruct it.
My benchmark is hair you can eat. let me explain. ideally you would have some hair just long enough to reach your mouth, or maybe almost long enough, like just out of reach of your mouth. This allows a certain amount of freedom and flexibility for styling. Not that hair always needs to be this length. in the summer when the weather is hot for sure it should be much shorter. But once in a while i like to let it grow out a bit, especially when the extra thickness can serve as insulation in these cold New York winters.
I decided i like some red near my face. like black jeans, green/cyan/white striped button shirt under a conservative young sweater. shirttails protruding out from under the sweater, red scarf or button. idk.
there is this guy in school who when he walks by i look hard, gaze, try to remember every glorious detail, want to become one with his, eat him, hold him, love him. Why. why? what kind of stupid question s that. he's hot idk he's beautiful. can you elaborate on that. this stuff interests you huh doctor? when i ramble about new york winters you are silent, but talk about sex and you're all ears. ok he's about 5'8", slim, short light brown hair. oh wait, i'll describe this one. he drives me wild. A bit shorter, maybe 5'7", but I could be off. blond hair with a lock that sticks straight out in front at like a 90 degree angle so if i kiss him his hair would basically stab me in the eye. moist red lips, cheeks that make him look if he were blushing, energy. yah, that is part of a visual description of this guy. he looks "energy". you just see it on him. anyway, if i could be with these cuties that would be great. My printer is saying that it is thirsty. it gets that way sometimes after it has done a lot of printing. this post is getting long. shall we continue next week? Will you pay another $100 for a fifty minute therapy hour. No i will not, doctor. I think you are wasting my time. Why am i becoming a psychologist if I don't believe in shrinks? i guess because i know there are others who believe in them and if you believe in it, then at least you can get the placebo effect, so it helps them. Which is good. Unlike mass murder in Darfur. WHich is bad. And the people in hollywood like the people in darfur so they go there and take pictures and maybe they should make movies about them. Hi mr. you live in darfur. you could live in khartoum, but you don't so you get to get killed all the time. hi mr person from darfur, how does it feel to get killed all the f***ing time? To tell you the truth mr hollywood man sir, i like your money and i like that you come here and make movies and give us your money and i don't half recall having been killed all the time, though my neighbor from down the block, he's also mr live in darfur, and he got killed last week. but not all the time. so maybe you could ask him. but he probably not answer you because we bury him good. And can i have a free pair of those Toms shoes you like to give out to us poor people in Africa. And can you help me witht eh AIDS thing. I don't want to die of AIDS and you like to go on TV for helping us Africans with stuff like that. Anyway, it's ben a pleasure meeting with you, Mr. rich american hollywood guy. Now i'd better be off. I have a meeting with an impotent, that is important, terrorist leader to get to and there is not to me car so i would need run.
Go save the environment for us so we could live in this poor place and kill each other and get humanitarian aid from the people who aren't fighting and killing each other, they just fight and kill people in Iraq and destabilize the country so all the Iraqis can blow each other the heck up because maybe they like to die and then they could kill more Israelis in bakeries buying their food. How does that make you feel, Teddy? Feel? like punching you in the face. why do you always interrupt at stupid times? Would you like to punch me in the face? no, i would not. i was just expressing my distaste at your distaste. how do you know how i taste. You, idk but i was with a guy lat week who really tastes excellent. It's like licking absolute bliss. A spark goes right through your tongue straight to the pleasure centers in my brain and i just melt and hold him close. And then I have to finish two more quizzes for experimental psych. And I have to study for my LSATs and you are wasting my time. why do you think that this stuff works, anyway?
What do you think of when you think of wasting time? Try to free-associate to that idea. Computers that crash, lost work, stock markets can crash, lost money. wasting time? dying. the end of time. you get old, you can't do stuff. I want to make the best of my time but don't really know how. my spiritual leader said in a lecture a couple of days ago that there is no happiness like the absence of doubt. That the greatest happiness is knowing exactly what to do. That explains the joy of the hassidim. they listen to their rebbe, and blindly happily do whatever, no questions, no thoughts, no second-guessing. the rebbe did all their thinking for them. so there are no doubts and ignorance is bliss. but it's really bliss.
So back to wasting time. if i knew exactly what to do things might be different. but i don't and i have the feeling i guess (saw a hot pic on a Guess shopping bag) of time slipping away and i want to have lots of sex. i told you that always comes up. as i was saying time slipping away and life ending without meaning and what to do to give it lasting substance and there is religion and i do that. i do lots of religion and the whole secular world looks down at religion and wants people to be secular like them but they don't realize what they are missing because they are missing the essence of life and they live out meaningless existence and are never really happy and they should do more religion. but said spiritual leader (see above) also said that we don't just do some religion in our religion. we do everything according to the rules of religion, i mean every little thing to show we are slaves of god. wasting time? i guess not doing all of the religion stuff means i am wasting my time on earth. and doing all of the religion stuff means i am not having time for other things i value. early memories of wasting time? well, around my parents i would always feel guilty about wasting time because they were always doing important stuff and wanted the same of me. do your homework idk. i've wasted lots of time. like on a school holiday back in elementary, i would play hour upon hour of nintendo or playstation video games and then turn around and have to go back to school and i would feel terrible, that i wasted my whole vacation , and now it's back to school, even though i enjoyed the games. I'll see you again next week then, ok, teddy. go f*** yourself. You'd like that huh? no. If you were as hot as my acting coach then yes. and now you sound like me already.

Life is

Life is

Gay Parenting

"it is vain to blind oneself to the fact that the problem of male homosexuality is in essence the problem of the corruption of youth by itself and by its elders. It is the problem of the creation by means of such corruption of new addicts ready to corrupt a still further generation of young men and boys in the future" (Rees & Usill, 1956, p. 29)

"often have assumed that their children are likely to be emotionally harmed, subject to molestation, impaired in gender role development, or themselves homosexual. None of these assumptions is supported by extant research and theory" (Falk, 1989, p. 941)

"there is no evidence either that homosexual parents are more likely to seduce or allow their children to be seduced than their heterosexual counterparts or that lesbian mothers or their acquaintances molest children more often than heterosexual individuals. However, research on the point is scant" (ibid. p. 944)

you have comments on the adoption/artificial/sex gay parents raising the next gen of americans?

"Researchers have been unable to establish empirically that detriment results to children from being raised by lesbian mothers" (ibid. p. 946)

"[t]here is no evidence of any kind that demonstrates that living with a homosexual parent has any significant negative effects on children. In fact, it appears that gay parents are as effective and may be even more so in some ways than nongay parents" (Bigner & Bozett, 1989)

Bozett (1989) contended that "[t]here is no evidence whatsoever that children reared in households in which one or both adults is homosexual are in any way at harm, either physically or psychologically."

The American Psychological Association accepts the thrust of these conclusions so sufficiently, it provided expert testimony to that effect in the joint adoption of a boy through artificial insemination by male homosexual partners in the District of Columbia in 1992 (Washington Blade, 6/19/92).

More importantly, the American Psychological Association joined the National Association of Social Workers in an amici curiae brief in Bottoms v. Bottoms, November 15, 1993, in which the APA asserted that: "the belief that a child raised in a household with a lesbian or gay parent is more apt to become lesbian or gay is without any basis in fact" (p. 23); "the research suggests that lesbian mothers have parenting skills that are equivalent to or better than those of heterosexual parents" (p. 12); and "there is no social science evidence that even suggests that lesbian or gay parents are more likely to sexually abuse their children, or to allow them to be molested by others" (p. 13).

I've heard people oppose gay marriage on the basis that two parents, including a father figure and mother are needed to raise psychologically healthy kids. Is is not clear how this argument holds up to the empirical evidence.

Get ready, here comes the new forensic psychologist me. One of my new classes for the Spring semester.

i'm out of time, more later

Good Evening, Madam Speaker

On the whole, Mr. Bush did not perform especially poorly in his latest State of the Union Address. He said all of the standard cliches, made all the usual promises, and left us knowing little more than we knew before. But that's to be expected given the complexities of leading America and the low level of understanding in the populace. So I can't really fault him. The only thing of substance in the speech was the Health Insurance Tax Exemption, which sounds like a decent idea; probably becomes problematic when you look at the numbers: the money must come from somewhere. What kinda gets me is the President's dogmatic way of speaking, as if what he says is really true. He leaves no room in his rhetoric for the vicissitudes of the real world.

Spreading opportunity and hope in America also requires public schools that give children the knowledge and character they need in life. Five years ago, we rose above partisan differences to pass the No Child Left Behind Act, preserving local control, raising standards, and holding those schools accountable for results. And because we acted, students are performing better in reading and math, and minority students are closing the achievement gap.

Now the task is to build on the success, without watering down standards, without taking control from local communities, and without backsliding and calling it reform. We can lift student achievement even higher by giving local leaders flexibility to turn around failing schools, and by giving families with children stuck in failing schools the right to choose someplace better. We must increase funds for students who struggle - and make sure these children get the special help they need. And we can make sure our children are prepared for the jobs of the future and our country is more competitive by strengthening math and science skills. The No Child Left Behind Act has worked for America's children - and I ask Congress to reauthorize this good law.

Could you get any more vague and still be inaccurate?

Extending hope and opportunity in our country requires an immigration system worthy of America - with laws that are fair and borders that are secure. When laws and borders are routinely violated, this harms the interests of our country.

Should I accept that because You said it, Mr. Bush? Do you have any evidence that this indeed harms the interests of our country? Do you have one critical thinking cell left in your brain?

To secure our border, we're doubling the size of the Border Patrol, and funding new infrastructure and technology.

Yah, that'll do it.

Yet even with all these steps, we cannot fully secure the border unless we take pressure off the border - and that requires a temporary worker program.

Oh, so it won't be enough with the doubling Border Patrol thing?

We should establish a legal and orderly path for foreign workers to enter our country to work on a temporary basis. As a result, they won't have to try to sneak in, and that will leave Border Agents free to chase down drug smugglers and criminals and terrorists.

Oh, the joys of ignorant bliss. If we let them apply to Immigration and wait six years after filing a mountain of paperwork for a chance to come to the US for a year, maybe they won't try to sneak in. Come on, Mr. President!

(Notice how he throws in the line about the terrorists. They're his favorite.)

We'll enforce our immigration laws at the work site and give employers the tools to verify the legal status of their workers, so there's no excuse left for violating the law.

Just like in the movies.

We need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot that welcomes and assimilates new arrivals. We need to resolve the status of the illegal immigrants who are already in our country without animosity and without amnesty. Convictions run deep in this Capitol when it comes to immigration. Let us have a serious, civil, and conclusive debate, so that you can pass, and I can sign, comprehensive immigration reform into law.

The melting pot dream of Thomas Paine, Herman Melville and others was essentially discarded in the United States some years back in favor of multiculturalism. Someone apparently forgot to inform our esteemed leader of this. Mr. Bush's concern for the "great tradition of the melting pot that welcomes and assimilates new arrivals" is not only anachronistic, however, it it also insulting. To the millions of American who are proud to be Dominican Americans, Chinese Americans, African Americans, Jewish Americans, American Indians, Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Latino Americans, Pakistani Americans and so on, the melting pot is not a "great tradition". Bigotry is not a "great tradition". They are not interested in giving up our heritage to start over as assimilated new Americans. They cling to their individual history and ethnic origins, hold sacred their old traditions in their new country.

This country's dedication to freedom has secured for these groups their right to contribute their unique qualities to the broad mosaic of America. Unfortunately, our president fails to recognize and respect these hard-won rights. To Mr. Bush, immigrants must be "Americanized" to be worthy of the title "Americans". The implication that assimilation and Americanization is somehow an evolutionary process; that to be assimilated into the "great tradition" is somehow better than the culture of our ancestors is deeply disturbing. An individual in Mr. Bush's America is not to be accepted for who he or she is as a person, but only as a cog in his "great tradition"-al machine. This platform is not in the spirit of our country's current ideals. Our country's "great tradition" is marred by slavery, civil rights abuse, war, and crime. A speckled past. We can rise above this and learn to respect one another. Let's begin.

Some references on the death of Melting Pot America:

America's Melting Pot Reconsidered
Charles Hirschman. Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 9, 1983 (1983), pp. 397-423

The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society
Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr., Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Jr. (1998)

Melting Pot or Salad Bowl: Some Evidence from U.S. Investments Abroad
Utpal Bhattacharya, Peter Groznika. EFA 2003 Annual Conference Paper, 2003

Constructing Ethnicity: Creating and Recreating Ethnic Identity and Culture
Joane Nagel. Social Problems, Vol. 41, No. 1, Special Issue on Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity in America (Feb., 1994), pp. 152-176

Fashion. Well, Almost

Been short on time lately. Finals. On the European system and taking Spring on the US system, so I don't even get a Winter Break. That's life, I'm not complaining. I'm happy. And learning about happiness in school. Which is cool.

Random Wiki: Sagging

Oh, and we like comments.

Bush and Paglia

Watch out: Mr. Bush is set to make a fool out of America again in tomorrow's State of the Union address. Stay tuned for analysis.

A copy of Camille Paglia's Sexual Personae fell into my hands by chance yesterday. It made an interesting read. So did this. I agree that sexual abuse is a crime, but I'm not sure all sexual interaction is necessarily abuse. It's a fine line.

Fixed the links from 2 posts ago. Sorry for the inconvenience.

The Update

Shabbos was great. Went to Efrat, stayed by these wonderful people there. Loads of fun. Getting ready for the USA.

I love meeting beautiful people.

I feel like supporting Clinton for President 2008 today. This is not yet our official endorsement; there's is still time and much to do, but for now, that is my leanings. That's it for now.

short on time

Thanks to DeviantArt, Brent Corrigan, and random things popping up on my computer for the last post.

I thought about where to find information on Judaism, Papke. While I doubt any of them fully do justice, here are a few selections.

The Eye of a Needle. Yitchak Coopersmith.
The Way of God. M. C. Luzzatto.
Listen to Your Messages. Yissocher Frand.
Halakhic Man. J. B. Soloveitchik.

Gotta run, more info soon.

Some New Pics

Tribute to the King

How much more than ever now do we need a man like Martin Luther King Jr. today: A man of integrity, a man of learning, a fantastic speaker; a man who uses his talents to foster peace, and one who refuses to foment violence as too many of his fellows have unfortunately done.

In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force...

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Hamas accused by Fatah of plans to assassinate PA president Abbas (story at BBC). Interesting that the BBC calls the plot "murder" instead of "assassination"; I wonder what this means.

Nuevo Riche Victoria Beckham aka Posh Spice spends big in 90210 (story here).

California woman dies of water intoxication after radio drinking contest to win a Nintendo Wii gaming system (story).

YouTube is great for sampling international music. Incidentally, did you know YouTube founder was recently knighted by the Queen? Freakish.

Mahmoud Abbas to Condi Rice: No!

PA Pres. says "No" to a temporary independent Palestinian state. In doing so, he follows predecessor Yassir Arafat's lead in denying his own people their statehood so they can unfairly blame their plight on Israel which offered concessions. Abbas has again verified the claim that what the Palestinians really seek is the Israel's destruction, not a state of their own. (story here)

Smack This, Akon

According to Ryan Seacrest, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, aka Brangelina, aka Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will be teaming up again for a television comedy series that will be "like Married with Children, with guns".

Also, in an interview on Seacrest's AT40, Akon talks about his recent escapades.

"Why were the cops chasing you?"
"It was a stolen car."

Akon said he was running from the LAPD and "had 'em beat" but then crashed his car into the mayor's mailbox and drove straight into his house. Akon sounded really funny on the air. He might consider a side career doing standup. But he's dangerous. I mean, we like his music but he's a real live criminal, you dig? He's been arrested, spent time in jail, and he's doing stuff again. This is the role model for American youth. Specifically, if you'll forgive my language, for Black youth.

"Some of your lyrics were obviously written for adult listeners."
"Yah, they were for sure meant for adults, but it's funny how all the kids found this stuff and they're eating it up."

This is the big post # 100. How should we celebrate?

This is Outrageous

Outrage as Oxford bans student for being Israeli (see story). Anti-semitism and ethnic discrimination at its worst as Oxford's Professor Wilkie rejects a PhD applicant on ground of having served in the IDF according to Israeli law. A criticism on government policy is one thing, and may be on principle (human rights violations, etc.) or at worst anti-Israel. But once you take it to the personal level, it's just flat out anti semitic, racist. The biggets irony is that Israeli academics are the ones who are most sympathetic to the plight of the Arabs and are most outspokenly critical of their country's mistakes. They are seeking better solutions, but this is an intractable problem. We still need time.

Good News for Soccer Moms

Posh Spice is moving to Beverly Hills, LA with hubby David Beckham, an international soccer superstar who recently signed a deal with the LA Galaxy worth $250 million dollars. Not bad money in a league whose team salary cap is just $2 million. The team took advantage of the "Beckham Law", a new rule that allows one player on a team to be exempt from the cap. I kinda feel bad for his teammates: they split a 2 mil pie, while Beckham earns 8 figures. What does that do to a guy's morale? The pundits think this Beckham can revive football (soccer) in America. Our take: the salary cap still needs more bending before the sport can go mainstream and compete with pro baseball, American football, and basketball in the US. But it's a fun game, so play away kids.

Economics of our Environment

This is an issue we will be hearing more about. Global environmental factors create our economic situation; the current rates of production and consuption, in turn, reflect back on the environment in a giant cycle that affects everyone in totally unpredictable ways. Exciting! And there are loads of funny people who think they understand it. Which makes for great comedy. We can sit and laugh at people like Sir Nicholas as they scream like headless chickens. That is not to say we should ignore the issues, rather caution is the buzzword. Try not to spend 1/2 the GDP on a dubious "environmental" project.

Should we just plant lots of trees and see what happens? Dell Computer began doing just that in an effort to offset environmental damage caused by its electronic devices. The catch: they want customers to pay ($2 extra for a laptop, $6 for a desktop). Michael Dell has called on fellow electronics companies to follow suit. See the LA Times article on the Gates Foundation to see why this may be at best a gimmick, at worst, folly.

Economics diversifies its portfolio: see story, see also Freakonomics.

Build a brain research institute. It's become a popular hobby today among people with cash to burn. Check back here for the list of those who have done it.

Happiness, the final frontier. The Economist ran a front page article, "Happiness (and how to measure it)," in its Christmas issue. The NY Times discussed Happiness 101, the new so-called Positive Psychology that has become the rage on college campuses across the country.

Economics was always about money, psychology dealt with mental illnes. Now, these disciplines are turning their tools on a goal so elusive, the DoI promised only the right to pursue it, never to attain it.

Howard Stern is earning almost $600 million for luring record subscribers on satellite radio.

To recap: environment, economics, neuroscience, and radio

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)

Mr and Mrs. Smith: Two thumbs up. Not really meaningful in a permanent way, but it doesn't try to be or apologize for that. It's fun. It doesn't answer it's questions, but they are minor and don't bug you the whole time. The movie isn't a "things that make you go huh" like so many movies are. I can't tell you how many times I sat through a movie where half the time I was thinking, "Huh? What's going on here? What's the point?" But Mr and Mrs. Smith was straightforward, cool, and classic. It basically distinguishes itself by not trying stupidly to distinguish itself. Lots of guns, the necessary car chase. PG-13, bring the whole family. With Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie. Fast fact: Jolie's character, Jane Smith, says she's Jewish (oh, and that she's done 312 men. Some were 2 at a time).

And now, it's time for some sleep. G'night.

P.S. Did you ever notice that some magazines drop the period after Mr. and Mrs.?

Demographics of Power

Minorities are the wave of the future in America as the "melting pot" view increasingly gives way to multi-culturalism.

Jews make up 3% of the US population; 8% of the 110th Congress. Blacks comprise 13% of the nation; 8% of Congress. Women comprise approximately 50% of the population in the United States (so why are they called a minority?); they received 17% of the seats in Congress. All three groups acheived new records of representation in the 2006 mid-term congressional elections.

13 Jewish Senators, 3 Hispanics, 2 Asian Americans, 1 senator of Arab descent, 1 African-American and a whole bunch of WASPs.

Joe Lieberman made a mockery of his party by winning re-election on the Connecticut for Lieberman ticket after the Democrats deserted him.

Another child hanging story: chris and chris
Everybody's doing it: The see-through color

More than half (55%) of all online American youths ages 12-17 use online social networking sites, according to a new national survey of teenagers conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. (PDF)

What's most surprising about the numbers is that there is virtually no racial or economic divide in terms of who is most likely to use these sites: male, female, rich, poor, black, white share nearly identical numbers.

Invitation to a Hanging

Kids are taking theirs lives left and right in copycat hangings attributed to Saddam's execution. This brings the old debate about TV violence back into the sphere of debate. The essential argument that has plagued me for a long time is this: Whether or not television violence makes kids, on average, more violent is irrelevant. For every display of ingenious criminality on TV, there will be one or more copycat crimes, given a population as large as the TV audience is. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to hold the network heads liable for premeditated murder every time someone is killed in a copycat crime.

The counter-argument, a friend recently enlightened me, is that once you take things to the macro scale, you can't predict with great accuracy the global effects of any action. For example, a terrorism show that gives bin Laden an idea for his next bomb may also give the Dept. of Homeland Security a heads up and lead to countermeasures to close the vulnerability. Perhaps a child was martyred on the lap of Saddam this week, but the world will think differently about public hangings the next.

Incidentally, does anyone still remember the old Saddam, the ruler of Iraq, before they dressed him up in a beard and suit, stripped him of power, and put him in a courtroom. A man's legacy is only as good as his final hours. We have already rewritten all that histroy...

Relatedly, the killing of Hussein has also sparked dozens of new deaths in the Iraq insurgency.

Women like bags. Comments?

New study shows that having younger siblings can increase risk of brain cancer. Wtf? I'm going to have to look into this.

Did you notice the picture of that cute altar boy next to the report of child suicide? Is there any connection between the two things? No. Did the juxtapositioning implant in your mind the insinuation of a connection? Maybe. Did the picture of innocence and potential in children influence your perception of the horrors of child suicide? I don't know. I think these things make a difference.

When you throw around lots of dough, you make a difference. It's hard to know what will happen. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation tries hard to do good for the poor. Problem is, we are only human. (see article)

Seemed interesting, but I didn't have time to read it: dialogue at Slate

Did you know: Of course Google has pages in English, Spanish, Hebrew, etc. but did you know they have pages in Elmer Fudd?

Torah in the Air

Ilan Ramon took a scroll up into space on the ill-fated Columbia mission in 2003. Then, Henry Fenichel and Steve Maclean brought up another on the Atlantis. Israir Israel Airlines has now announed plans to permanently install a sefer on one of its commercial airliners on the New York - Tel Aviv route. Israir's claim that it's Sky Torah is "making aviation history" may be somewhat inflated, but it will be a service welcomed by religious Jewish passengers and further weaken ElAl's grip on the religous market. (article)

Gerald Ford (former US president) dies at 93.
Jewish rapper Y-Love's blog: This Is Babylon.
Yeshiva World News.

For those of you who have been keeping up:

The Pope Tries to Help

He's been in the news a lot lately. Appeared on my Google Homepage in 3 out of 17 stories:

The Pope urged Middle-East peace efforts (BBC)
The Pope appeals for help for the world's abused children (CNN)
Worship God not technology, Pope says (Google News from MSNBC)

The NYT, meanwhile, led of with a story about Archbishop Akinola, but its tone was less preachy. A number of American churches left the Episcopal Church after it consecrated a gay bishop. The Nigerian Achbishop Peter Akinola created a North American branch to accomodate the American churches. "In doing so, he has made himself the kingpin of a remarkable alliance between theological conservatives in North America and the developing world..."

Oh! I'm surprised I didn't make the connection sooner: It's Christmas. I guess people want some religious stuff in the news for the holidays. Maybe next time, just report: Happy Christmas, say Pope! and spare us his politics. Reminds me of the Christmas dinner in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Joyce) where Dad, Dante, and the Uncles couldn't stop fighting over church and politics the whole meal and everyone's holiday was ruined. Let's just celebrate and forget why we do, okay? It's so much simpler.

It's the end of the year, and you know what that means. Year-end specials! Every newspaper, magazine, and periodical worth chopping down trees to publish will roll out their predictions for next year, their year-in-review, this-year-in-pictures, etc.. The Economist led off early, with its annual The World in [2007] special. Look for these wrap-ups in your favorite media source (or don't). If you find any especially interesting or informative ones, please let me know. It might be fun to put together a ranking. But why bother? And who has time?

Speaking of time, it is almost Finals season (I know many of you are on vacation now, but the European academic calendar is different (and Israel is a little different even from the rest of Europe (yes, Israel is part of Europe. Or Asia. Or Africa (but Africa less so). Or the Middle-East. Whatever that means. (Yes, I know well what the Middle East is, but it isn't its own continent, you know)) because it doesn't officially celebrate Christmas or New Year's) from the American one) so I'm going to be more busy studying and have less time to post.

Would You Like a Green Card?

The weirdness of the US government: I got a spam e-mail that looked like an offer for a free sample of Crest WhiteStrips, so I figured why not and clicked on it. Up pops a form to apply for the Green Card lottery. I'll forgive their forgetting that I am already an American citizen but have they become so desperate for foreign workers that they need to hide the Green Card lottery in a spam mail from Crest? And this amid all of Bush's talk of stricter immigration laws!

Civil Rights for Robots?

It may be the wave of the future, at least according to the the UK Office of Science. The BBC reports that in the next 20 to 50 years robots may become entitled to suffrage, Social Security benefits, and other rights of citizens. I hope Asimov's 3 cardinal Laws of Robotics are preserved:

1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2) A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

0) A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

In an unrelated story: Jesus Christ the next King of Poland? 46 MPs voted for the bill last week. Don't fret, the Virgin Mary is already their honorary Queen. It might look funny to have a mother and son as King and Queen. Maybe they'll demote the blessed virgin to Queen Mother... The BBC manages to come up with the strangest news.

Aaron Carter is with Kaci Brown

See, this is why Aaron Carter's life is so much fun to follow. He's a papparazzi dream. A good looking guy who hangs with hot girls; different girls all the time. And what's more is that he has this cute, naive way of saying this is the girl with each one, after knowing them for just a week.

Reasons to Love NY, from New York Magazine

Pondering the Future

The whole nasty question of my future has begun to rear its ugly head again. I am trying to decide where to finish college, what to do after, etc. When I think, "What do I want to do with my life?" My first response is usually, "I don't." There is nothing to which I really want to devote my life; nothing I want to do day in and day out. Certainly nothing practical. So when I think these thoughts, suicide becomes the obvious choice. But I have problems with that course as well and haven't seriously considered it.

I heard other ways to look at the decision: How do you see yourself five years from now?* What do you have to do now to avoid regrets down the road? So I'm thinking about it. Basically I'm thinking finish college, start going out (shidduchim), go to yeshiva full time for a few years, maybe work in the summers and bein hazmanim, then go to grad school, and get a job. It's time to start applying for summer jobs/internships. So much to do: it's almost time to study for finals, register for Spring classes, GRE and whatnot. It's confusing.

I spoke to a friend who has left yeshiva to work full time, and he expressed regrets that he could not be learning. It got me thinking about the opportunity of being in yeshiva. Chanukah seems a good time to "get back into it". Start taking my Judaism** more seriously, start learning better, davening better, being more careful about halakha. Would you be surprised if I said I am considering Lakewood (aka BMG)? It is getting harder to get accepted there, so many people want to go. It has become the de facto yeshiva for serious bochurim returning from Israel. Few large yeshivos can match the high level of learning there. Maybe I won't be accepted? Maybe I won't fit in? I don't know. If I decide to continue learning it would be hard to do it anywhere else.

*"Married with one kid and one on the way" is a classic answer to this question. Isn't that funny?

**Technically, there is no such thing as Juda ism. But I don't have time to explain the theory, for now I use the term in its colloquial sense.

Attack on Freedom: Hell is Other People

The Rabbi came into my room 3 days in a row now. Uninvited. Just got a key from the landlord and marched in. Opened my closet, and looked around. I inquired as to whether he has taken anything of mine. He answered in the negative, but added that he had thrown out something that he found under my bed. I asked what that might have been, and he replied that it is disgraceful to talk about it, that my room lacks the "look" of a yeshiva, that I can't possibly understand a Tosfos if I read secular books, and that I shouldn't allow my corruption to spread to the other guys in the apartment. I responded that my intention was never to influence others or entice them to sin. He said there are guys who wouldn't read these things, but will if I put it under their faces. I tried to explain that the inside of my closet is not, under normal circumstances, under anyone else's face unless they have violated my space. He didn't want to discuss it. Told me to gather all my books and hide them where no one will see them. He did offer to pay for what he took, at least (v'heishiv es hag'zeila asher gazahl).

My best guess is that the book he tossed as objectionable was a collection of plays by existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Sartre was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964 "for his work which, rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age." Sartre refused to accept the prize for "personal and objective reasons". The collection previously in my possession included No Exit, a scene from hell; The Flies, the story of Orestes and Electra's quest to avenge the death of their father Agamemnon; Dirty Hands, a political drama about an assassination; and The Respectful Prostitute, about a black man framed for a white man's crime.

I imagine it was this last that drew the Rabbi's ire for its uncouth maintenance of the word prostitute in the title. Though the story concerns itself with the universal values of freedom and cruelty, and is far from vulgar, any author who could use this word is assuredly incapable of writing anything but trash. Nachon? Ideas, the spirit of freedom, and the quest for truth just doesn't jive in haredi society. Note, I hate bashing people like this, but I am upset about a personal afront.

My problem is not that he disapproves, or wants to run his yeshiva a certain way. That's ok, but deal with it like a mentsch. Discuss with me what problems you have; we can agree to disagree or maybe compromise. Or maybe I'll have to accede, or maybe you'll convince me, but at least we will understand and maybe even respect each other. And that way I would learn something: it can be an educational experience, instead of a display of bigotry.

Looking Forward to Vista

I'm looking forward to Microsoft's next-gen OS Windows Vista, whose delayed launch has been scheduled for January 2007. I don't mind the delay, though. If it's still buggy and you need to fix things, by all means delay it again: Launch it when it is ready. Nobody benefits from a bug-infested product, even if it's loaded with great features. That said, there is much to anticipate in Vista. One major advance is multiple-screen support. You can hook up several monitors and have programs running in each. So you can have your e-mail always open on one monitor, without cluttering your other monitor on which you are typing or whatnot. Many cool products are on the way to take advantage of this feature, including all manner of Bluetooth-enabled gadgets that sync to your computer. A photo frame (if anyone starts calling these things phrames, you saw it here first) that gets pics from your comp (or from your friends on flickr, picassa, etc.) and also runs a stock ticker on the bottom. Here's a scenario from the not-so-distant future: You are at your desk at work, when your Bluetooth wristwatch alerts you that someone rang your doorbell at home. You use your cell phone to speak with the visitor, realize it's your brother, and let him in by typing a code in your phone.

If You Wake Up

If you wake up in a red room without windows or doors... don't panic. You're just in my heart.

Some Random Stuff From My Life

Shabbos was great. Friday night we made a meal in the dira, and I had a really cute guy from Florida sleep over in my room. He was a cousin of a cousin of another guy in the dira and was in the neigborhood visiting his grandparents and needed a place to stay. My roommate was away and I was more than happy to oblige. Next day I ate at a cousin and then went to visit a friend nearby. Saturday night I was introduced to Family Guy, but did not get hooked. I also saw The Last Kiss and The Departed. Not major breakthroughs but entertaining, both. Dicaprio was better than Damon in The Departed, though I'm usually a big Matt Damon fan.

SMS Peeping

A: Hi
B: Hi Im at the tachanah merkazit
A: You want me to meet you at the tachana?
B: Sure, when?
A: Now?
B: Well just read ur email from this morning if it can lead somewhere ill meet
A: Where it will go depends a lot on u
B: What do u mean? I think u know where i want it to go
A: Tell me about it
B: So do u want that also? If so lets make it happen!
A: Idk what u want and idk what i want until i meet u
A: So u dont want 2 meet unless u can fuck me? What if i'm fat and ugly?
B: I said lets meet i just want the sex to be a possibility dont want to meet if u only want to talk and thats it
A: Ok where r u?
A: Whats the deal?
B: Net cafe on 3rd flr
B: Where are u?
A: Tower
B: Where? Come into the tachana

Remember Candid Camera? Well, smile, you're on Candid Texting! You think people would behave better if they knew who was watching? You think this makes people loook absurdly shallow and/or dumb? You think this is made up? SMSpeeping.com

Let's take the opportunity to point out some of the pitfalls of the medium. Notice that when B said "you know where I want it to go," A replied, "Tell me about it." Then B assumed that, "You want that too." To which A answered, "I don't know what you or I want." Apparently, A's "Tell me about it" was not intended as a sarcastic synonym for "Of course that is what I want," but was a sincere request for information.

Kolko Blogs, YU Radio, and Paris

There is this J-blog that talks incessantly about the Kolko case and bashes everyone. You know who I am talking about, so I won't do him the service of another link. I understand that this blogger has complaints against the system and several individuals. He lodges serious grievances about things that must be dealt with. But his impudence is astonishing and shows a great lack of compassion or even rational thought. He uses incendiary language and is wholly single-minded.

Get this:
News blog of note.
Someone who thinks?
World's Best Mayor contest.
Muqata writes.
Cross Currents or Cross-Currents? It's the battle of religioblogs.
Is this comedy site a "Things that make you say huh"?

Listened to YU Radio. They play some weird sh**. Bunch of song parodies, I caught a line about someone sleeping with a goat. Oddball radio. Is all campus radio like this? I suppose they can't play Top 40 because of copyright infringement. Here's another lyric sample: We got no class, We got no principles. No more pencils, No more books, No more teacher's dirty looks.

Once I was happy, once I was sappy, Nylons are green, Like an old goat, To sleep with a snore, Betrayed by a maid in her teens, Noodles you're hair is getting thin, Well who wants fat hair, Did you put the cat out, I didn't know he was on fire, Horizontal bars, His actions are horrible, No he's very good, Did you hear about the owl who married a goat? They had a hootenanny.

Potato cakes, Hash browns, There's no kind you haven't tried, You planned a trip to Idaho, Just to watch potatoes grow, You like them whether they're plain or stuffed, You're addicted to spuds, Late at night you always dream, Of potato chips and sour cream, Might as well face it, You're addicted to spuds. I used to hate 'em, Now they're all that I eat, Might as well face it, I'm addicted to spuds.

They made everybody green, I really wish they'd cut it out, They wasted everybody on my block, There goes the neighborhood, They're not nice to the human race, And they just won't go away, And the evil look and grin, And they sure could use a manicure, I sure hope they don't come in here, Run for your life, They're really making a mess of this place, Look out here come flying creatures from outer space, They're making a big fat mess of this place.

I also meant to mention the Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe. He was in Jerusalem last week to announce the gift of the city of Paris to Jerusalem, a 25 meter high 1/12 scale replica of the Eiffel tower. He also gave 30,000 Euro to a child development center in Qiryat Shemona.

No Indents and Borat Blamed for Racist Blunders

Standard html doesn't allow for indenting. It is one of those odd little quirks of computer programming that is the bane of any webmaster. Lucky me just discovered it; my belated condolences to all those who have had to put up with this garbage for years.

Two unnamed (and apparently racist) students have sued Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) for comments they made that appeared in Baron Cohen's recent movie Borat: Cultural Learnings from America for Make Benefit Glorious Kazakhstan Nation. That's right, he's being sued over comments they made. The claim is that they were drunk when they signed the release forms, so they cannot be held responsible. The plaintiffs demand that Borat not be released on DVD and they be reimbursed for physical and emotional damages resulting from the exposure of their privately held beliefs and attitudes. They further claim to have been tricked into making the comments that aired in the movie.

Saturday Night

Showered, getting dressed last night. Wasn't sure what my plans would be, just decided to go out, maybe take in a movie or something. Guy comes by, asks, "You have any plans for tonight?"
"Nothing specific."
"You want to go out?"
"Alright. What do you have in mind?"
"Your call."
"I dunno. You wouldn't go to town, right?
"No. How about taking a stroll, we can go to the old city."
"Ok."
"Pick me up on your way out, then."

Had a feeling this was one of those "Save His Soul" missions, but figured wth. So we went. Got down to the old city, picked up a few beers, and sat down to chat.

"So, who's the odd man out it your family: you or your brother?"
"I wouldn't say either of us are. I guess we are different, but we get along well and respect each other."
"It just seems, he's well, I don't know him too well, but he doesn't seem like the professional type. He is not in college like you are."
"So? He's working hard and accomplishing in his field and I in mine. We don't have to compare."
"Fair enough. What do your parents think?"
"About our lifestyle choices? My parents don't insist on any given way of life for us. Just that we should be working hard toward something we want and be successful at it."
"So if you're happy, they're happy?"
"I guess you might say that."
"And if you're not happy they are not happy."
"I suppose that kind of follows."
"So..."
"So what?"
"So are ya happy?
"Yes."
"But you're not... You... Well, a while back I switched schools. I got to the new school wearing my jeans, sneakers, colored shirt. My father's a butcher, I didn't know better. The school didn't announce its dress code, and I wasn't trying to make a statement, but I realized I stood out from everyone else - the way they were dressed. It took me three years, but I learned that you don't have to flaunt your differences."
"It's a shame you learnt your lesson so well."
"Why is that?"
"Well, it might not be fun to always flaunt your differences and have to fend off all the flack you get, but it is also uncomfortable to stay in hiding about yourself."
"There's a middle ground between flaunting and hiding. Let me take for example the pictures you hung up on your wall. Especially that one with the - I can't even tell if it's a boy or a girl - with the bleeding eye and skull ring. What is that for?"
"I thought it was interesting."
"It looks like you want to make a statement."
"What statement do you think it makes?"
"I thought it just looks like you are trying to make a statement. That's the statement."
"Really? I just thought it would be nice to have some decorations on my walls. Instead of them just being bland. It's like a conversation-starter."

We walked around a bit more, found a restroom, and then continued. Passed a bagel shop, and went in for a bite to eat.

"You want to get a bagel?" he asked.
"Not really, but I don't mind if you do," I answered.
"Alright, how about a poppyseed with cream cheese and lox. You think they speak English?"
"Yah, but not well."
"I see I got you, you're having a bagel too."
"Yah, while we're here anyway."
"You know, it's been several months since I quit smoking. I smoked for 7 years. Wouldn't mind a cigarette now, but it's not what I really want."
"I shouldn't understand what you said, but I do."
"Yah. Quitting smoking is like life: what you think you want for the moment is sometimes not what you really want."

Gotta go. I'll try to continue this sometime. Any comments?

Words, Words, and More Words

The nice thing about modern media is that it allows you to use outdated words. To name a few: dernful (sad; lonesone), molestful (troublesome, but nobody today is going to believe you; they'll think it means a molester or something), aborning (in the act of being born), Averroism (a late 13th century philosophy), Artemovsk (a city in Ukraine), Angelystor (creature from Welsh mythology), zafirlukast (an asthma drug), paraphrastic (having the nature of a paraphrase), biblioclast (a person who burns or destroys books; we are familiar with those), ecdysiast (stripper), accoast (to sail along the coast), epanorthosis (correction of one's statement as one is making it; immediate rephrasing for emphasis), fysigunkus (if you don't look this one up, you might just be one), apodyopsis (the act of mentally undresing someone), insalubrious (unhealthy; unwholesome), zinjanthropus (what they used to call the australopithecus), catawampus (diagonal; askew).

What an amazing language! Now, your homework is to write a story using at least 10 of this week's spelling words. Extra credit if you use them all.

Worth a look. I just noticed someone found my blog after searching for "conscription government tearing." I am curious about this. Don't you just love search engines. For that matter, there were some hits from Einstein College of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, Covad Communications (is that who I think it is?). Cool. And yikes, I won't say where a NYC government employee was surfing on the job. Just a friendly reminder that no one is truly anonymous online; another reason to oppose the Fed's right to subpoena private information. Or was this employee perhaps working on just such a government scandal - er, I mean, project? Big Brother is watching. Anyway, I think it's time for a big thank you to all my readers. Did I just give away too much? Too little? Go Baltimore! (Baltimore?)

The Leftovers Were Good

Some who didn't make the song: Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoe, former Yeshiva of Far Rockaway head Alan Stadtmauer, Doogie Howser star Neil Patrick Harris, singer Lesley Gore ("It's My Party"), singer George Michael, Grey's Anatomy star T. R. Knight.

Hanukka Song, Revised

With Hanukka around the corner (I know it must be because all the bakeries in Israel have just begun selling doughnuts; growing up in NY, we never had a "doughnut season", you could invite obesity, ruin your heart, and titillate your tastebuds with a fresh deep-fried pastry any day of the year - but here, doughnut season is Hanukka-time.) I started thinking, as I always do when Hanukka comes around, of Adam Sandler's Hanukka song.

Here's the gay version, part II. See Follow the Yellow Brick Road, April 11 for the first listing.

Time to take out the manora
Put on your Yamaka
Its time for Chanukah
So much funnaka
To celebrate Chanukah

Chanukah is the festival of lights
Instead of one day of presents
We get eight crazy nights
So when you feel like the only kid in town
Without a girl or three
Here's a new list of people who are gay
Just like you and me

Rosie O'Donnell, watches QAF
Then spins a Dreidle with E.M. Forster and Edmund White
Guess who gives and receives
Loads of Chanukah toys
Computer genius Alan Turing and three of the Scissor Sisters
We got Congressman Mark Foley
And governor Jim McGreevey
Leo DiCaprio, isn't gay
But he plays one on TV

Put on that yarmulka
Its time for Chanukah
Pablo Picasso's matron Gerstrude Stein
Played for the other team

O.J. Simpson still not a homo
But guess who is, Pavel Tchelitev whose work hangs in MOMA
Sir Elton John was born that way
He likes it from the back,
Lance Bass of 'N Sync is gay too 'Cause we're pretty good in the sack.

Guess who got bar-mitzvahed
On the fashion runway
No I'm not talking about BEP's Fergie
I'm talkin' about Mr. Carson Kressley.

So many gay people in the show biz
Vladimir Nabokov isn't gay
But they say his brother is.
Tell the world-amanaka
It's time to celebrate Chanukah
It's not pronounced Ch-nakah
The C is silent in Chanukah
So read your hooked on phonica
Get drunk in Tijuanaka
If you really really wannaka
Have a happy happy happy happy Chanukah